The Dorsal Fin

YouTube user ELVIAVANES uploaded the video above today, which is described as a great white shark being rescued at California’s Venice Beach. The video description says that the juvenile shark was hooked on a rod and reel by locals. The description goes on to say that the hook was removed. Four men, including two surfers, can be seen assisting the shark back into the water at the video’s end.

The great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) is a protected species in California waters.

According to a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission press release, the FWC has proposed new rules to prohibit the harvest of tiger (Galeocerdo cuvier), great hammerhead (Sphyrna mokarran), scalloped hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini), and smooth hammerhead (Sphyrna zygaena) sharks in Florida waters. According to the FWC, research indicates that these species have suffered population declines in recent decades, and the scalloped hammerhead is “overfished.”

The Sun-Sentinel is reporting that the FWC has already “approved a ban” on the killing of these species. However, the FWC press release states that a final hearing on the proposed ban will not take place until November.

While the proposed ban would prohibit the killing of these four species, catch-and-release fishing of the sharks would still be permitted.

NBC Los Angeles conducted an interview with Michael Castillo, the fisherman who caught and killed a shark from Huntington Beach Pier last month. The shark in question was a juvenile great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias), which is a protected species in California waters. However, Castillo believed he had caught a shortfin mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus), a species unprotected by law.

A warden from the California Department of Fish and Game examined Castillo’s catch and also identified the shark as a mako. However, the warden took teeth samples from the shark which later confirmed the species as being a white shark. After the shark was positively identified, the warden returned and confiscating the shark.

Castillo was not issued a citation for the white shark. However, NBC LA reports that DFG officials are still investigating the catch, and it will be up to the Orange County District Attorney’s office to decide whether charges will be filed. Castillo maintains that he did not know his catch was a protected white shark.

WARNING: Video features offensive language and graphic content

YouTube user ograza13 recently uploaded the video above which shows a young great white shark being caught, according to the video description, from Huntington Beach Pier.

It should be noted that fishermen involved apparently thought it was a mako, as you can hear one of them say “c’mon mako!” Based on the title of the video, it can be assumed that YouTube user ograza13 still wasn’t sure of the species, when the video was posted. However, it’s quite clear from the video that this is a white shark (Carcharodon carcharias), which is a protected species in California waters.

YouTube user Nickaway recently posted the video above which shows a group effort to help return what is listed as a 12.5′ tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) back to the water. The video was shot next to Bob Hal Pier in Corpus Christi, Texas. According to the video description the shark was tagged and released from the beach. Based on the video footage, it looks like quite a bit of effort was needed to get the shark back out into the gulf.

Kudos to all of those involved in the release effort.